Brown County, Illinois — public water systems
At a glance
5 active public water systems are filed under Brown County, Illinois in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 5,721 people served. The largest is Mount Sterling, which reports serving 3,271 people. All 5 are community water systems serving people where they live.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.
Active systems
5
Population served
5.7K
Community systems
5
Groundwater share
100%
How does Brown County compare with other Illinois counties?
Brown County has the 95th-most active public water systems among the 149 counties listed for active Illinois systems in EPA records; among the 104 with 3 or more systems, the median has 18. Its systems report 5,721 people served in total, the 95th-largest county figure in the state and less than 0.1% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 1,144 people, about 64% below the Illinois average of 3,204. Population figures are what each system reports; people served by more than one system, such as a wholesaler and the town that buys from it, are counted by each.
Where does Brown County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Brown County's active systems draw on purchased groundwater (4, 80%) and groundwater (1, 20%). Overall, all rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and none on surface water, compared with 82% and 18% across Illinois. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own. The county's largest system, Mount Sterling, draws primarily on purchased groundwater.
What kinds of water systems operate in Brown County?
Brown County's active systems break down as 5 community systems (100%). A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. EPA lists their owner types as local government (80%) and state government (20%).
Water systems in Brown County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Sterling | Brown | 3,271 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 2 | Western Il Correctional Center | Brown | 1,600 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 3 | Versailles | Brown | 478 | Community | Groundwater |
| 4 | Ripley | Brown | 250 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 5 | Mound Station | Brown | 122 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
Brown County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Brown County, Illinois?
EPA's SDWIS records file 5 active public water systems under Brown County, Illinois: 5 community systems (100%).
Who supplies drinking water in Brown County, IL?
The largest community water systems filed under Brown County are Mount Sterling (3,271 people served), Western Il Correctional Center (1,600 people served) and Versailles (478 people served). Which system serves a particular address depends on its service area, which EPA's SDWIS records do not include; a water bill or the local utility can confirm it.
Does Brown County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 5 active public water systems in Brown County, all draw mainly on groundwater and none on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, Mount Sterling, uses purchased groundwater.
Where can I find a water quality report for Brown County?
Each community water system must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1, covering the previous calendar year. 5 community systems are filed under Brown County, so the report to look for is the one from the system that supplies your address.
How can I check violations for a water system in Brown County?
Open the system's profile from the list on this page. Each profile shows the most recent Safe Drinking Water Act violations in EPA's records, with plain-English labels and whether each one is resolved. For current compliance status, EPA ECHO is the primary source.
More Illinois water systems
About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Public water systems in Brown County, Illinois”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/illinois/brown (data as of October 1, 2026).